Shamanism
by Jet556
Summary: To the Evabon, shamanism is as much an art as it is a religion. Some children of that race don't know that much about it and one certain child will learn from a shaman as mysterious as the ocean depths. The child is Balor, descendant of Gard, friend of the ThunderCats and he will learn and the shaman will teach.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome, gang. This story was originally supposed to be for Cheetara and Kit instead of Balor but I ultimately decided that with Balor's current situation he was better suited for this story. Enjoy.**

**Endless Cycle**

With the bruises from his fall stinging from pain, Balor continued through the cave. The cave was completely dark it was safe. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he became capable of seeing, since an evabon's eyes are different from the eyes of a non-evabon, Balor wondered if this was all that was left for him. Was he just to hide in a cave for the rest of his life?

"It's not something to mourn about forever!" Balor looked around. That was a man's voice! "Death is sad but out of life comes death and out of death comes life. It is an endless cycle, shamanism taught me that." Balor continued to look around. Where was the author of that voice? "And it has been good for me these many years." Balor turned around. The author of the voice was behind him! An old grey evabon with a great mustache and beard was standing before him. His hair was black, his skin a light grey, and his single eye was a bright blue. There was something familiar about him. He was dressed in a hooded black robe with shining stars on it. In his right hand was a staff made of wood.

"Who are you?" Balor starred at the old evabon. Why did he seem so familiar?

"You, if you live long enough to reach my age." The old evabon walked around the Balor, the stars on his robe shinning as if they were real. "But what brings one so young and so sad here?"

"Don't you know?" Balor kept turning his head to look at the old evabon. "You're me!"

"Correction, I am not you but you could become me if you live long enough to reach my age." The robed evabon continued walking around Balor.

"I've… lost myself? Lost my way? I don't know." Balor looked to the cave floor. "Do you know?" The shaman, for that's what he was, rubbed his left eye, his single eye.

"I'll tell you for a trade!"

"But I've nothing to give you!" The shaman laughed. Balor did not know what was so funny.

"Nothing physical but you can give me something." The shaman then began to stroke his beard. "You give me your ear to learn the art of shamanism and I'll tell you why you're here." Balor was dumbfounded. Why would this old shaman want Balor to learn the art of shamanism? Who was he besides a shaman? Finally, he nodded. "Excellent!" The shaman banged his staff on the cave floor and both vanished.


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome back, gang. The Shaman in this story is meant to have a bigger role in a four-part story so I felt like introducing him before those stories. Enjoy.**

**Powers of the Elements**

Balor looked around. He and the shaman were in the Valley of the Tombs. Or were they? There was no one else in the valley but them! Balor then looked up to the sky. His jaw dropped in shock! The sky! It was green! The young evabon shook his head, confused. Where was he? What was this strange place the shaman had brought him to?

"What do you know about the elements?" The Shaman looked down on Balor. The child did not expect a question.

"There is four right?" The Shaman nodded. Balor thought for a moment. "Air?" The Shaman nodded. "Earth?" The shaman nodded again. "Fire?" Balor thought for a minute. What was the last one? "And… uh, ice?" The shaman laughed. Balor starred in shock. He had been wrong. What was the last one then?"

"Close but no." The Shaman raised his staff and an oasis suddenly formed beside the two evabon. Balor turned to look at it. The water was… purple? What kind of a place was this? With green sky and purple water? It was very strange. "Water. A shaman's magic is connected to the elements. In order for a shaman to unleash to power of the elements that element must be present. You can't summon the might of the earth when you are out on the ocean and you can't summon the many forms of water in the middle of the desert!"

"But that means the only element that can be used all the time is air and there is nothing much that can do!" Balor's statement made the shaman smile. How young this boy was. He had much to learn! The shaman raised his staff and a bolt of lightning came down right next to them leaving Balor shaking in fear. "Okay, maybe more than nothing. But why teach me about shamanism?"

"You have the spark." Balor did not understand what the shaman was talking about. "Gard had the spark but it has since faded! The same goes for Antaeus." Balor raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"You knew Antaeus?"

"I was ancient long before his time." Balor blinked in surprise. Just how old was this shaman and who was he? "I've taught you all you need to know now tell me why were you in that cave?"

"I wanted to hide from the world." The shaman smiled and placed a finger on Balor's forehead.

"That's all you had to tell me." Balor started to tremble. The shaman's finger was icy cold. "We'll meet again!" And with that Balor vanished leaving the shaman alone. "Yes, you have the spark and if anyone can find my missing eye you can."


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome back, gang. This is the last chapter of this story. Starting next week, I start my next story "The Wrong Path." Enjoy.**

**Better**

Balor looked around. He was on top of the statue of Antaeus. How did he get up there? He looked up at the sky. It was the color it should be! He was home and not in some weird differently colored version of the Valley of the Tombs.

It was night the moon and stars were behind clouds. Balor had no idea how long he had been in that cave, how long he'd been with the shaman, he had no idea how long the time had flowed.

Balor jumped to a nearby tree and climbed down to the ground. He didn't hurt himself he made the jump perfectly and climbed down without falling.

A smile appeared on Balor's face. He was feeling better. He didn't know if it was something that shaman had said about a never-ending cycle or learning he had the spark, whatever that was. Or maybe he had realized he couldn't hide from the world? He just wasn't sure and he didn't care!

Sothap starred at Balor. What was he smiling about? From what he heard Balor hadlost his home. There was no reason for smiling!

"Good evening, Sothap!" Sothap raised an eyebrow. What was wrong with Balor? Had he lost his mind? "Have a good time guarding this tomb!" Balor was taunting him! He was sure of it! Sothap crossed his arms and looked to the side angrily as Balor walked away, leaving Sothap to his anger.

Balor instantly walked over to Kit and Andvari. Kit was patting Andvari while sitting beneath a dead tree. Balor, still smiling, sat next to Kit. Kit starred at Balor, he was still bruised but he looked happy. The smile on his face seemed like it might split in in two.

"You look like you're feeling better."

"A lot better!" Balor stretched out an arm and started to scratch Andvari behind the ears. "Look, I guess Tygra already told all of you and I'm feeling better about it now! I didn't expect to feel better this quickly but I do!"

"How?" Kit was confused. Balor had lost his home, everyone he knew there was dead. How could he feel better so quickly?

"A wise evabon once said 'Death is sad but out of life comes death and out of death comes life. It is an endless cycle!'"

**The End**

Well, that's it for this story. My next stories will once again concern Sotark and the threat he is to Third Earth. Until then, read and review.


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